Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly ready to spend £80m and bring Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar to the Etihad this summer.
Real Madrid are also interested in the Slovakian international having failed to sign him for £55m last summer.
City have struggled defensively this season, largely in part to injuries to key centre-back Aymeric Laporte.
They failed to find a top-class replacement for Vincent Kompany last summer and are now set to relinquish their Premier League crown with Liverpool well clear at the top of the table.
The Sunday Express claim that City have identified several players including Leicester City’s Caglar Soyuncu and Bournemouth star Nathan Ake for the summer.
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Though they add that Guardiola is prepared to splash out £80m on Skriniar as the Spaniard looks to solve his defensive problems.
City will be hoping to be strong defensively this afternoon as they tavel to rivals Manchester United.
Kevin de Bruyne has not been included in the City squad though Guardiola is looking forward to the clash.
He said: “Always it’s so nice, one of the nicest ones, I love it.
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“It’s always special. Of course the situation is a bit different, we look to improve, to finish second, not (to win) the title, and for them it’s more important in qualifying for the Champions League.
“We have to prepare for two finals, Madrid and Newcastle and to improve what we do.
“At Sheffield [Wednesday in FA Cup on Wednesday] we struggled at moments but then attacked better.
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"In every game we have to do it against the big teams – United is a derby and that’s the way to improve.
“When we believe it’s more important for them we are going to lose – we have to have belief it’s more important.
“I’ve never played a game thinking about points, the game is more comfortable or less, I never see the game schedule, the game we try to play and try to win.”
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